Can Drug Addiction Be Cured? Arrielle Steward Health Promotion Intervention 4320

Objectives  Identify drug addiction and its causes  Be able to identify the signs of an individual who has a drug addiction problem  Describe the Behavior Change Model and how it may help with drug addiction  Look at teen studies of drug abuse and the types of drugs used  Understand how drug addiction affects loved ones

Drug Addiction  Drug addiction is a syndrome found in the limbic region of the brain that is developed over time by a continuous intake of drugs. Drugs that tend to lead to an addiction usually puts addicts into a different state of mind that gives them a “high” feeling.  Causes  Lack of motivation from the brain that controls behavior  Curiosity that leads to dependency

Signs  Intoxication  Increase in levels of prefrontal cerebral blood flow  Craving  Can be caused by previous involvements or the sight of the drug that most people are taking  Withdrawal  A mental, emotional, and physical reaction from being away from a drug

Behavior Change Model and Drug Abuse  Precontemplation  No thoughts about change  Contemplation  Realization of the addiction  Preparation  Preparing to make a behavior change  Action & Maintenance  Pick a plan and follow through with that plan  Termination  If the plan doesn’t work find a new plan

Statistics  Teens ages are abusing drugs the most  Only 37.4% of young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are abusing drugs  24.3% of adults age 26 and above are addicted to drugs.

How Drug Addiction Affects Loved Ones  Family members and friends sometimes feel they are responsible for the issue  Denial  Loved ones don’t want to believe that there is an issue  “Codependency”  Loved ones are controlled and manipulated by the addict  Rebellion  Children tend to rebel to take the attention away from when parents are addicts

Drug Addiction and Eating Disorders  Biological, genetic, environmental, and psychological factors can all alter the behavior of someone with a drug addiction or an eating disorder.  40%-60% genetic factors are contributed to susceptibility to addiction  People with eating disorders abuse steroids, insulin, tranquillizers, over the counter drugs, and weight loss drugs

Summary  Drug addiction is one thing that has been a problem for many years. The addiction is caused by taking drugs continuously which causes the brain to make the body believe it needs the drugs. The signs to look for in a drug addict are intoxication, cravings, and withdrawal. There are six different steps that help addicts change their behavior and they include precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. Statistics have shown that there are more teens between the ages of 12 and 17 who are abusing drugs the most, and the most abused drug is marijuana. Drug addiction can have a huge affect on loved ones as they are having to cope with the situation as well as the addict.

References  Goldstein, R. Z., & Volkow, N. D. (2002). Drug addiction and its underlying neurobiological basis: Neuroimaging evidence for the involvement of the frontal cortex. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(10), Retrieved from  Kolb, L., & Himmelsbach, C. K. (1938). Clinical studies of drug addiction, iii a critical review of the withdrawal treatments with method of evaluating abstinence syndrome. American Journal of Psychiatry, Retrieved from . N.p.. Web. 3 Apr  Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1997). The transtheoretical model of health behavior change. American Journal of Health Promotion, 12(1), Retrieved from  "Statistics – Teen Drug Use, Abuse and Addiction." Inspirations for Youth and Families. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr  "Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association." Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr